


Flufftember #14

by adrianna_m_scovill



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:14:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26685712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adrianna_m_scovill/pseuds/adrianna_m_scovill
Summary: Flufftember prompts:Barson - date mishaps
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Olivia Benson
Comments: 6
Kudos: 91
Collections: Flufftember 2020





	Flufftember #14

He met her cab at the curb and opened the door, grinning broadly as she climbed carefully out of the backseat. The sidewalk was slushy, and she hadn’t exactly worn practical shoes—or boots, which would’ve been even more practical; she hadn’t seen him in person in almost a year, and she hadn’t realized how much she’d been looking forward to it until she’d faced the prospect of dressing for the evening.

There’d been a time when she wouldn’t have thought twice about what to wear for dinner or drinks with Rafael Barba, but she’d come to realize how much she’d taken for granted. Now, she found herself wanting to make an impression. She’d even left her coat open so he could appreciate the dress, despite the frigid late February air.

His happiness to see her was obvious, unaffected and unadulterated, and contagious. She laughed quietly as he spread his arms and sent a respectfully-appreciative glance down her dress.

“Liv. You look—”

“Tired, overstressed, and a year older than the last time you saw me?” she joked, suddenly afraid of the compliment dangling on his tongue.

He paused, his smile softening a bit as he regarded her. “Incredible,” he finished. He leaned in for a kiss to her cheek, and she tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach when his cool lips lingered against her skin for a moment. Then she stepped into his embrace, wrapping her arms around him and breathing deeply in his familiar and sorely-missed scent.

“So do you,” she murmured, patting the lapel of his coat as she drew back. He was bundled up, but his scarf was loose and she could see the knot of his tie at his collar. It was a relief to know he’d gotten dressed up, too. “You've decided to keep the beard?” she added as casually as she could manage, and his chin tipped up as he laughed. She’d missed the crinkles around his eyes and the break in his laugh. He had more gray in his hair; she hadn’t noticed it during their video calls. 

“Careful, it’s slippery,” he said, taking hold of her arm as he drew back. He swallowed as another glance—involuntary, it seemed—slipped down her dress, and that did nothing to alleviate the flutters in her belly. Then he flashed her another smile and she wrapped her arm around his to start toward the restaurant. “I’m trying it out,” he said. He eyed her sideways, letting her get a clear view of his profile. “What do you think?” 

“Ask me after the—” She almost said _goodnight kiss_ , and she faltered for a second before finishing: “Dinner.”

“I don’t get that much food in it,” he promised with a grin as he opened and held the door for her. She rolled her eyes, laughing as she stepped into the warmth of the packed restaurant. She felt his hand against the small of her back as they moved toward the hostess; the touch was light through the barrier of her coat, familiar and friendly, but it felt different than the countless other times he’d touched her during the course of their friendship.

The hostess smiled as she greeted them, but her smile tightened after she’d typed Barba’s name into her computer. “I’m sorry, sir, I don’t seem to have your reservation here.”

“Rafael, with an f,” he tried, his tone and smile both friendly. “B-A-R-B-A? Party of two, seven o’clock.”

“Hmm.” She typed and shook her head before turning an apologetic look in his direction. “Perhaps your assistant gave the wrong name? Is there anything else it could be listed under?”

“I don’t—I didn’t—” He paused and drew a breath through his nose before speaking calmly: “I made the reservation myself, a week and a half ago. I spoke to…” He twirled a finger in the air for a moment while he tried to remember the name. “Rebecca.”

“I’m sorry to say Rebecca isn’t on tonight and I don’t have your name in my system. If you and your date would like to have a seat in the waiting area, I might be able to find you a table in twenty minutes or so?”

“She’s not—It’s not—” He stopped again, and Benson couldn’t help but wonder if all of the color in his cheeks was from the cold air outside. It wasn’t like him to be so easily flustered. “You have no tables available at seven?”

“I’m very sorry, sir.”

Barba turned toward Benson. They both knew twenty minutes wasn’t a terribly long wait—if a table actually opened up that quickly. They also knew they weren’t likely to find a table any sooner, at least not nearby. “You want to stay and take our chances? I can call around…”

She smiled at the hostess. “Thank you, we’ll try another time.” She took Barba’s arm and started toward the door, and he matched her steps without hesitation. She held the door for him and he shot her an amused, affectionate smile before stepping out into the cold night. 

“Sorry about that,” he said, hooking a thumb back toward the restaurant. “I don’t know what happened. Should I make some calls, see if we can get a table somewhere else on short notice?”

“How about you buy me a hot dog.”

He arched a brow. “A hot dog?”

“I know you missed this in Iowa,” she answered with a smile. “So what do you say we get a hot dog and go catch a movie?”

“A movie.”

She laughed at the look on his face. “Barba, I’m too happy to see you to let a little change of plans ruin the evening. A hot dog, a movie and some popcorn, drinks afterward…?”

His gaze raked down her body again. “Olivia, this dress—” He paused and cleared his throat. “You don’t belong in a dark theater where no one can see you.”

The butterflies in her stomach burst into flames.

“Well, I didn’t wear it for anyone but you,” she said.

His smile was small but so sincere that it lit up his face, and she moved away from him to resist the temptation to kiss it from his lips. She didn’t want to rush things, and they hadn’t even had a chance to talk, yet. He fell into step beside her as she walked toward the hot dog vendor up the block, his arm brushing hers as they moved. 

Maybe a movie was a bad idea, after all. She doubted she’d be able to concentrate on a film while sitting in a dark room beside him, and they still wouldn’t be able to talk. 

She stopped and turned toward him. “Maybe we should—”

“I missed you,” he said at the same time, and she broke off as they regarded each other. Their breath fogged the air between them in short bursts, and she pulled her coat closed against the cold air. Barba looked a little sheepish, a little nervous. “I missed us,” he added. 

His absence had been the hardest thing for her to get used to. Their friendship had been so easy and familiar, whether it was grabbing coffee before work or a late lunch in the afternoon, drinks after a long day or dinner on a weekend, or simply Barba stopping by her apartment for a glass of scotch, she’d taken his presence for granted until it was gone. 

But things couldn’t go back to the way they were before. She needed an answer that he’d never given her, so she drew a breath to gather her courage before asking it a second time.

“And?”

The word hung in the cold air for a few seconds, and she could tell by the softness of his face that he knew exactly what she meant. “I missed you,” he repeated, stepping closer. He paused, searching her eyes. “And…” His gaze slid past her toward the road, and then down, and he said, “Watch out.” He pulled on her arm to move her forward. His tone was calm enough that she knew she wasn’t about to get hit by the taxi coming up beside her, but the tug on her arm was urgent enough to make her move quickly.

She stepped toward him and started to turn, more curious than alarmed, and he swore quietly as he shifted so he was between her and the street. “What—” she started, flinching a second later as the car went through the puddle and the wave of dirty, slushy water hit Barba from mid-calf to the back of his head. A few drops splashed her arms, but Barba’s body blocked the majority of the spray—and the second, smaller spray a moment later when the back tire passed through the puddle.

He stood unmoving with his shoulders hunched and his eyes closed, his hand still resting on her arm. She made a startled sound and clapped a gloved hand over her mouth to make sure no inappropriate laughter could escape.

He drew a long, slow breath through his nose and released it through pursed lips before opening his eyes to look at her. “So. Movie, then?” he asked, and she was helpless to stop the laugh from bubbling past her fingers.

“Ohh,” she said, lowering her hand. “Are you alright?”

“It’s okay, I don’t feel it except…” He sighed, gesturing toward the back of his neck, and rolled his eyes upward for a moment. “I’ll just take my coat off when we get there.”

“Rafael.” She stepped closer and grabbed his lapels. “I appreciate the gesture, but your coat costs significantly more than mine.”

He snorted quietly, and she was glad to see the amusement in his eyes. “You have...more exposed skin,” he said, his smile stretching into a grin when she laughed. 

“Forget the hot dogs and movie. New plan—your place for dry clothes and takeout.”

“You want to come back to my place?”

“Am I not invited?” she teased.

“No, yes, of course, I just—I have _street water_ dripping down into my suit so I’m feeling _very_ sexy at the moment. I only want to make sure that’s not clouding your judgement.”

“Oh, yeah, well, that is difficult to resist. That and, you know…”

“The pity?”

“Exactly,” she laughed. “Come on, let’s get you home before the, um... _street water_ reaches your—”

He leaned forward and murmured three words into her ear, pressing a cold kiss to her cheek as he drew back. 

She turned her head, catching the corner of his lips with hers before meeting his eyes. “Hold that thought until we get someplace warmer,” she whispered. 

“Mmhm,” he agreed, glancing at her mouth before straightening. He held out his arm and she looped hers through, pulling him closer to her side. “I’ll hold it a little longer, then,” he said, flashing her a crooked smile as they started walking.


End file.
